Call comes after truck incident led to road damage and closure
An incident involving a stuck truck on Broughton Pass at Wilton has led NSW Roads and Maritime Services (RMS) to issue a stern reminder for operators to obey road signs, saying there is no excuse for heavy vehicles to be in areas where roads are not suitable for their size and mass.
RMS says the truck driver ignored multiple signs about weight and size limits for heavy vehicles on Wilton Road before crashing the Victorian registered B-double he was driving into safety barriers and becoming stuck on a bridge over Cataract River.
A local heavy vehicle tow truck was able to slide the rear B trailer sideways off the guard rail, making the truck safe, but the extensive damage led to a three-day closure.
“As a result of the crash the guard rail on the bridge was severely damaged. While the driver was trying to free the truck it became stuck with the B-trailer hanging over the edge of the roadway,” an RMS spokesperson says.
Read RMS’s insight into its COR investigations, here
RMS heavy vehicle inspectors issued the driver with infringements for disobeying No Truck signs, driving off route, a critical breach of working hours and a defect notice for the trailers damaged in the crash.
Wilton Road was closed in both directions for several hours while the truck was released.
RMS says the driver told inspectors he had travelled from Banksmeadow before getting lost after missing the turn to the M5 motorway and travelled towards Wollongong in an attempt to get back to the Hume Highway.
“Despite seeing warning signs along Wilton Road he claimed he was unable to turn the truck around and continued to enter Broughton Pass.
“The driver’s disregard for multiple warning signs led to significant cost, time and inconvenience to NSW Police, emergency services and the wider community with the extensive damage caused to the safety guard rails, requiring Broughton Pass to be closed for three days while repairs were carried out.
“There is no excuse for heavy vehicles to be in areas where the roads are not suitable for their size and mass.
“It is completely unacceptable that one truck driver disobeying multiple warning signs should cause significant disruption to other road users. The signs are there for a reason.”